Trapezoid (The Base)

Chapter 3

D. Smith smoothed out the navy skirt of her suit as she rose from her desk. The first two of the new interns, as she called them, were finally ready for her. Both the man and the woman had put up a fight—before they had been shot with tranquilizers. That was a good sign. It was too bad she'd have to talk to them while they sat handcuffed to chairs.

CIA had been keeping tabs on them for a very long time, but none were interested. But now they were all needed whether they were or not.

Her boss, M. Donald was the mastermind behind all this, though. It hadn't been her idea to "kidnap" but she came to terms with it. Mr. Donald was never to be questioned. She'd learned this after working with him for over twenty years.

She went over to her bookshelf and tugged gently at Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice. The wall slid to the side and revealed an elevator big enough for only one person. Her inner relief was veiled by her usual calm façade—her majoring or maybe only expression anyone saw her with.

Levi was still feeling strangely calm while he was cuffed to his chair—almost sleepy, but strangely not happy or trustful. Clearly the people who set this up wanted all his wits about him.

The building the cab had stopped in front of was a toy store. There was nothing peculiar about it in any way. The lights were off just like all other stores around there at this time. The cab doors clicked opened and Levi had ceased the opportunity—and so did the lady. Apparently, it had been expected. Seemingly unarmed men came out of the shadows of the street. He'd knocked two down, but the third one shot him with something.

He and the lady were led helplessly into the pitch-black store. One of the men went over to the Lego section. He placed his hand on a box on the highest shelf. A halo-like glow outlined his hand. A staircase that seemed endless was revealed. Once the last stair was reached, lights went one.

This was where they were now, a cube-shaped, white room with no windows, the air-conditioning making a soft humming sound. No one spoke. The lady who'd been sobbing at the bus stop was so calm; she seemed to be studying the man in front of her with interest.

Then the wall to his left parted with an un-earthly buzz. The woman standing in it seemed un-earthly too. Her sandy-brown hair was tied strictly atop her head. Her green eyes were like glass in her expressionless face. She looked around her late thirties. She had the straightest posture he had ever seen. She walked out, her black heels tapping softly against the grey tiles.

"Hello." She sounded like a voice in software. "I trust your trip here was satisfactory."

"Why are we here?"

Smith gave a tight-lipped grin at the young woman, Lisa Troy. "Well, Miss Troy, you and Mr. Stevens are needed."

"How do you know my name?" both Levi and Lisa asked in at the same time.

"We know a lot about you. Surely we'd never just pick a stranger." Smith was inwardly amused by their expressions when she said that. "I'm like your closest friend you've ever had since you could remember. The only difference is that you never knew I was there."

Was she trying to say she was a ghost or something? Lisa scoffed inwardly at that notion—but she couldn't help feeling uneasy.

Smith saw a hint of disbelief on Miss Troy and no belief at all on Mr. Stevens. She knew just how to make that all change. She looked pointedly at Miss Troy. "You used to be an acrobat." Smith saw she hadn't convinced the woman. So she went further. "You were never afraid of the dark as a child or heights of any sort to this day. At age ten you ran the length of a roof's hip on account of a dare as if you were running on the ground." She told her the name of all her siblings, both parents, and her closest friends. She went on and told her personal details.

Lisa was shaken to her core. How did a stranger now so much about her? It was as if she had read her diary and pulled out all her records from every institution. She even knew her exact height and the age she stopped growing!

Her glass-like gaze landed on Levi and he felt as if they were x-rays seeing right through him. He'd heard this woman narrate the Miss Troy's life. Would she do the same to him? The things that made the lady blush were nothing. Would she disclose the darkest side of his past or worse?

"Mr. Levi Stevens, also known as Sniper." The use of his full name made him brace himself, but still not allowing himself to avoid her gaze.

The young man raised his head. His deep blue gaze unwavering. He was undeniably good-looking. His posture was that of a soldier—ready for whatever was to come. "You got shot twice in the left shoulder. You're ambidextrous and joined the force after your second year if college." She had given him a little grace.

Levi saw the favor she had shown him. He knew she knew so much more. He nodded in consent. "The closest friend we've never met."

"Both of you will call me D. Smith—strictly. Period. Do not add any other title before or after."

Both mumbled, "understood" even though that command was the most absurd one they'd ever heard in ages. They both now only knew a glimpse of this woman's power as it were, on their lives.

Smith stepped back, her time to welcome. "Welcome, Miss Troy and Mr. Stevens to the life of the CIA. You start immediate training."